Aldi - I just don't get it and no one agrees with me

[user7654321]

All of my friends, family etc don't have a bad work to say about Aldi and say they do the majority of there shopping there for both cost saving and better quality produce.

My DH and I feel we are missing something, as based on the all recommendations, we have tried Aldi 5 or 6 times in the past 6 months or so, and have found the products not to taste as good as the well-known brands. The fruit/veg doesn't stay fresh for long etc, and we have wasted so much food that we have tried but preferred the branded version (e.g. cereal, jars of sauces). We have tried hundreds of Aldi products, but I'd say only a handful are as good as the branded version or even a mainstream supermarket's own brand. Even their nappies, which are reviewed as amazing gave my poor DS terrible nappy rash.

So, AIBU to say i actually don't think Aldi products are the same or better quality than other brands? I understand they are cheaper but the impression I get from others is that its not cost that's the driving factor for them shopping at Aldi - its there amazing quality. Why don't I feel the same? My DH and I are so confused about this that we've even done 'blind tests' on some products and the Aldi one has always been identified as the 'fake'

[AccrualIntentions]

The things I've tried from there have been alright, but not good or cheap enough to make up for the inconvenience of shopping there.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

I'm a supermarket-whore; I travel a lot so am always passing one shop or another. There are some things in Aldi that are better than anywhere else - ketchup - lightly dusted sole fillets - white bloomer - cherry bakewells - sparkling water - to name a few.

I don't eat cereals so I can't comment on those really but my husband/kids like the Weetabix-alike from there. I've tried the porridge pots but prefer the branded Quaker ones of those.

Fruit and veg is all fine from there but we don't keep it for long and buy it once or twice a week. Same with Lidl. All comparable for quality and longevity. The worst shop for this (sorry to say because I love them) is Co-op, but that might be a local issue.

Meat is best from Morrisons but I don't like any of the pastry goods from there; my family does though.

We don't have a local Iceland really but I've previously bought frozen food there and it's fine.

I mostly shop in Sainsbury's. I love their mackerel fillets (as I do Asda) but their salmon is horrible imo as is Lidl's. Haven't tried Aldi's. (Asda is nice).

I only drink Cravendale skimmed milk any buy that from anywhere that sells it. Ditto Yorkshire Tea. I don't like any branded coffee - I only drink Sainsbury's own brand.

Aldi's blue handwash is uh-maz-ing but I don't like the purple one.

I do shop in Waitrose sometimes but I don't buy Heston or anything like that but I love their own brand chicken madras ready meal without rice. I really like their (2 in a pack) apple muffins - also the carrot cake ones.

[SingaSong12]

Should be "can't see"

[Topseyt]

I agree, OP. I don't "get" Aldi either and I did try it for two or three months when one opened locally.

Two products I did love were their Moser Roth chocolate and their Specially Selected Lemon and Mascarpone Cheesecake. Toilet rolls were fine too and much cheaper than Tesco. None of those would really tempt me back to do much of a shop there again though.

Fruit and vegetables I want to last more than just a few hours after being bought. They rarely did.

Also, I couldn't stand the Olympic event of getting through the till whilst they slung your shopping at you at warp factor 9. I have an arm injury which means I am not as nifty as I would need to be to shop in Aldi (or Lidl, I guess) so I went back to Tesco, where I much prefer the scan and pack system that many stores now have.

As far as I can tell, the price gap has also narrowed a lot in recent months too. People with a family the same size as mine (5 people) now talk about spending £80 - £90 on a weekly shop in Aldi. That is the same as I spend in Tesco every week.

[Idontdowindows]

I don't like Aldi either, their fruit and veg are blergh and their biscuits are cardboard. Their bacon is shit of the highest order.

I like Lidl better. Although their bacon is also shit, their fruit and veg are quite nice.

[LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726]

Cheese only from M&S - Midnight(?) Cove cheddar - also the packs of 5 pitta bread chips. Also the spreadable butter. and Percy Pigs

[AccrualIntentions]

Oh, and everyone raves about their nappies but they're the only brand we've had nightmare poo leakage situations with.

[NinaNoSleep]

I like it for some things, mainly the 'continental' type meats and cheeses. Love their mayonnaise because it tastes more like the mayonnaise we use abroad too. Don't the fruit or veg. Definitely goes off too quickly and little taste. MUCH MUCH MUCH prefer BOOTHS for fruit and veg. DELICIOUS.

[OutToGetYou]

I do most of my shopping at Aldi and stay under £50pw. It's not lower quality, as someone said, their steaks are brilliant. As someone else said, it's personal taste. I don't like ketchup at all so if you lined up all the makes and I tasted them it wouldn't matter which was which - but if you do like Heinz ketchup then you're not going to suddenly like another brand, are you, it's not pretending to be that brand.

There are things I don't like (filled pasta shapes are vile) and things I can't get there (risotto rice, capers) but many things I love and I have lived perfectly happily shopping there for years. Their parmesan is far cheaper. The staple I always mention is that I buy 'Oats So Simple' boxes of porridge for breakfast at work - the Quaker one is £2.79. The Aldi one is 89p, or 79p sometimes when they put it on offer. They are exactly the same. The Aldi one is called Oats So Easy. They are literally the same. Even non branded other supermarket ones are more like £1.70.

The customer service is fine, they do move quite quickly and I can understand that if you have reduced mobility it might be difficult (but, have you tried Ikea!?) but if not, there's no reason you can't manage it. They don't 'throw' your stuff at you, they pile it at the end of the till area and ask if you need any help if you're behind. I've never once been told to speed up or not pack my bags (another Aldi/Lidl myth is that you are not allowed to pack your bags at the till).

I went to Sainsbury for a mini shop today and spent £79. Even taking off the DVD, travel mug and drain clear, that's a LOT more expensive. (I needed risotto rice and capers....)

[HermioneAndMsJones]

I would try Lidl instead
Serioulsy I really dint like Aldi and esp the atmosphere atvthe one near me.
Our Lidl are all lovely.
And the products ARE similar in quality of better than supermarket stuff.
But then I dint buy branded stuff as such but the raw ingredients (eg no already made tomato sauce in a jar).
Re fruits and vegs, I find that quality can vary a lot from shop to shop too....

[noeffingidea]

I like Aldi though I don't do all my shopping there. Never had any fruit or veg go off. I rarely buy branded stuff and find Aldi own brand acceptable.
If something is cheaper at Aldi then I'll buy it. Food is food, as far as I'm concerned.
Love the toiletries. As far as the tills go, I think they're brilliant. I love the fact that they are so quick and never had any problem keeping up.

[Xihha]

Aldi's stuff isn't as good as brand stuff and you are right on the fruit and veg not keeping very long. It is however better than Sainsbury's own for a lot of stuff and less than 2 minutes walk from my house, and it is considerably cheaper on a lot of things and money is tight, so we just do a couple of fruit and veg shops a week and do a weekly shop in Sainsburys for bits where brand matters.

[TheSecondMrsAshwell]

I think you have to pick and choose. I certainly couldn't do a full shop in there. They do stuff like rye flour at half the price of Tesco and I like their tinned tomatoes then don;t sell other stuff I need at all. Their spaghetti sauce is so sweet it's horrible, but their chocolate is great (especially if you a re a baker, like me).

I tend to meat shop at Morrisons, tins/some veg/cat food from Tesco and Fruit and the rest of veggies from the market.

[MsHopey]

I love aldis products.
But i think it might be a case if getting used to.the taste. This really doesn't affect my opinion but I've been shopping at Aldi since I worked there. I'm not a SAHM but still do my weekly shop in Aldi.
I even buy aldis own baby formula! It's a bargain and has still got all the nutrients my baby needs, and at £6.99 a tin I'm very impressed.
But I only spend about £50 a week on 2 adults and our baby.
There is very few things I have to go elsewhere for though. I love to fibre bars, special k biscuit moments and pink and whites, I have to go to asda for those.
But literally everything else is aldi. Fish, salad, pizza, toilet roll, cat food, steak, chicken, all from aldi.

[Barmymammy]

The fresh stuff I bought at Lidl this week was just as good as Sainsburys and every single item was cheaper.

[Rudgie47]

Its the lack of choice really at Aldi thats the problem I think. As a vegetarian theres not a lot of different things. You cant get lentils or cheese oatcakes,potato cakes, nothing like that.
The cereal is inedidble as are their version of Ryvitas.The orange squash also tastes really cheap.
Fruit and veg has to be either eaten that day or the day after, it doesnt last. Also I've found the household products like the washing up liquid to be good and the antibacterial spray.
It is what it is a budget supermarrket, its not Waitrose or Sainsburys.Its fine for the bog standard basics, but eat them quickly.

[HermioneAndMsJones]

I’m sorry but as far as I am concerned, customer service is vile at Aldi. It’s notbtat hey are quick, they have no issue pushing stuff in your trolley if you aren’t quick enough, wo a Care for said products (think cans falling into eggs or bananas)
When ours opened, you couldn’t move the machine to take card payments which meant a good friend of mine couldn’t pay as he is in a wheelchair.

Seriously, if you go to Lidl, you have the same type of products, same prices AND a good quality service.
IKEA is different, you dint go there every week AND tbh I’ve never had the experience I have at Alsi either.

[Bloodybridget]

DP and I went to a new store near us the other day and were very disappointed, it had surprisingly little stock and nothing at all of some things (e.g. no large bottles of sparkling water). And no bakery - the store we used when we lived in Spain had fantastic, delicious dark rye bread, freshly baked . .

[Sparklingbrook]

Our local Lidl is a brand new one and it has serve yourself tills. There's a handful of things I quite like from their bakery section so I can do a quick in and out.

[skippykips]

Well, they are the same! My DP bought a multi pack of Aldis french fries crisps. Inside...walkers french fries!

[user7654321]

Wow - I was beginning to feel I was the only one who felt this way, glad I’m not imagining it! I wonder why I haven’t come across anyone in real life who isn’t a big Aldi fan!

[LambMadras]

It's the supermarket equivalent of a jumble sale. I hate it! The sausages actually made me gag and the cheese is dire.
The whole experience made me feel a bit grubby.

[HashiAsLarry]

I think its store dependent too. We ended up switching because we found Aldi and Lidl's fresh fruit and veg to be far better quality than our local Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda.

But we shopped recently in a Tesco about 30mins away and their fresh fruit and veg were far better quality and on par with our local Aldi and Lidl.

There are some things we won't buy as they weren't as good but that's the same in every supermarket.

[ocelot7]

The best supermarket worker I have ever met works at my local Aldi. She is a ray of sunshine

I love it & don't find things go off quickly. Sine DP is a supermarket snob we also shop in Waitrose & I find the price difference impossible to justify. He goes to Aldi just for the lilies though

[QueenStreaky]

I've tried Aldo a few times, different branches too, and it's really not very nice. But I LOVE my local Lidl and get most of my groceries from there (dh tops up at the weekend from Tesco for branded stuff we can't get there). Staff are really lovely and the food is fresh and good.

I agree with other posters that there's a lot of variation between branches, but I've not been in an Aldi that I liked, so I agree with you.